I KNOW YOU ARE BUT WHAT AM I? Jets coach Rex Ryan, depicted as a clown, along with quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow, for the cover of The Post's NFL special section, says it's the media, not his team, who have created a cricus atmosphere around Gang Green. Photo:

Rex Ryan presented a cool, calm demeanor three days before Sunday’s season-opener against the Bills, but underneath, the Jets coach was bristling at the notion the organization has taken on a circus-like atmosphere and has the look of a team headed more toward dysfunction than dominance.

Ryan apparently is upset by a number of circus-like references to his club, including the cover of the Post’s NFL special section on Tuesday that portrayed Ryan, Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow as sad clowns in a clown car alongside a Giants championship limo.

“I just think we’re a better football team than people give us credit for,” Ryan declared yesterday. “I also think our organization is a lot better than what people give us credit for. The circus thing is a little old for me. I think our record says otherwise during the three years we’ve been together.”

The record says he’s 28-20 in the regular season and 4-2 in the playoffs. But in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, all that’s remembered is last year’s meltdown in Miami, which ended with Santonio Holmes pouting on the bench after feuding with teammates.

Ryan apparently is using the “circus” comparisons of his club as motivation this week, prompting linebacker Bart Scott to tell The Post he’s boycotting the media because “Y’all think we’re a bunch of clowns and circus acts.”

Then prove us wrong.

The only real way to change their image is for the Jets to have a solid start to a schedule that after the Bills has them playing at Pittsburgh and at Miami before coming home to face the 49ers. That sounds like 2-2 at best. Technically, it’s a long season, but the acquisition of Tebow has put Sanchez on a short leash with fans, if not his coaching staff. In addition, the Jets haven’t yet shown the inner strength to overcome adversity.

Team owner Woody Johnson has Ryan’s back for now, saying he is “optimistic” about the season and isn’t troubled by his team’s image.

“We’re deadly serious about what we’re trying to do here,” he said while standing on the practice field yesterday. “We’re trying to win games and trying to represent our fans as they expect us to represent them. We learned this stuff in third grade, that sticks and stones and all this stuff about calling people names and all that, that’s what that is. That’s a way to sell papers. I’m not in this to create a circus environment or any other environment than a winning environment.”

The environment remains volatile. Holmes proved that on Wednesday when he threw Sanchez under the bus revealing to reporters the quarterback “was rattled” after learning about the Tebow trade. And oh, by the way, the first-team offense didn’t score a touchdown during the preseason.

All of it has Ryan on the defensive as he enters the 2012 regular season. “I not afraid to say it: I think this is going to be an outstanding football team,” he said, “the best team that I’ve had since I’ve been here. How that reflects on the record I’m not sure, but I think this team and this organization is heading into the right direction. I don’t know if that’s the national perspective, but it’s my perspective.”

Ryan might take offense to being drawn up like a clown, but doesn’t mind being a cartoon character. It was announced yesterday, he will be part of the Nicktoons series on Nickelodeon this season where he and other NFL players and coaches will be voicing their animated personas. Ryan taped the series during the offseason.

Hopefully, Ryan and Johnson aren’t naive enough to think the Jets issues off-the-field and on-the-field are sketched out of thin air.

“I have the utmost confidence in the coaches and the general management and the people in this building,” Johnson said. “There’s nobody who has worked harder to get our job done.”

That’s what he should say heading into a season. But it will take more than talk to make the circus leave town.